Charles moss ant



CHARLES MOSSAN'OF BOURG DU PAGE, FRANCE.

Letters Patent No. 78,991, dated June 16, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN PELTING-MAGHINBS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MOSSANT, of Bourg du Page, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in I-Iat and Web-Felting Machines; and I do hereby declarel that the following is a full,l`clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art tomake and usc the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sectional side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the'machinc, showing the upper and left-hand part in section, through the line 3-4, jig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail section of' the chain and wheel.

Figure 4 is a detail side view, showing the felting-'plate and board.

Figure-is an end view of the same.

Figure 6 is'a detail view of one of the rollers upon which the hat-cones are rolled.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention refers to a new construction of felting-machine, which is applicable to and particularly designed for'the felting of hat-forms or cones, but which can be elfectivcly applied Ato the felting of wool in one continuous web or band, or similar articles.

. In the manufacture of hats, a loose woollen webbing, called a cone, shaped as its name imports, is the first Vform of the hat.

This is made by hand or suitable machinery, and isvin an'unfelted state.

The felting of these cones is what my machine is designed to accomplish, by a peculiar combination of a rolling motion and a toand-i`ro or progressive and retrogressivc longitudinal motion; and the machine is so constructed that the progressive motion will be in excess of the retrogrcssive motion, whereby the cone or web will pass through and be delivered out of the machine, to bc again entered at the point from whence it was started, to undergo a second or third time the felting action of the machine, as will be more fully set forth.

In the drawings, al is the general frame of the machine, consisting of uprights of any suitable ferm, supf porting a cast-iron hollow hed or box, a.

The upper surface of this hollow hed is sheathed with a lead coating, a, for the purpose of protecting the hed from the corrosive action of the acidulated water used thereon.

On4 this lead surface the felting is effected by the action of certain other parts, to be described.

The lead surface is heated by conduction from the hollow bed, with .which it is in close contact, and the latter is heated by steam, admitted within its cavity by any .suitableA pipe from beneath, leading to a steum generator. Y

:r zu is an endless chain, of peculiar construction as to some of its links.

' There are two of such chains, each of which is borne and actuated by toothed wheels, in the manner shown in the red outlines, 2: w", (fig. l.)

A detail view ofthe chain and a wheel is shown at fig.` 3, in which figure the holes 1, 2, 3, &c., areintended to admit the peculiar links 2', 3', tto. V

These links, as shown, have anotch, for receiving the reduced circular ends of the bronze or wooden roller, shown at 7, ([igl On these rollers the looselywebbed cones are rolled, andthe former placed in the said notches of the chain, which thus supplies ajournal for their rolling motion.

The endlesschains, thus supplied with rollers, operate with a continuous forward'motion, but the successL ive forward motions being greater than the successive backward motions, the rollers and their cones finally issue at the opposite ond of the machine to which they were entered, when they are taken out and replaced in the chain just entering under the rubbing-platen, and so are made to pass through a number of times, if requisite.

The rubbing-platen will be hereinafter described. i

I will at present proceed to lset forth the mechanism producing the motion of the chain andits rolers.

Were the roller-chains provided with a simple longitudinal movement, and equal in opposite directions, the cone-bearing rollers would remain under the rubbing-platen an indefinite time, andwould have to be removed by stopping the machine. l

Now, in order to obtain their automatic delivery from the machine, the two chain-wheels, z'", at the end of the machine opposite the driving-shaft 7c", are rigidly keyed on a shaft, m, which also carries a ratchetwheel, N.

This shaft is shown partially in fig. 2, and in section in Vthe centre of the red circle x'", iig. 1.

The ratchet-wheel is indicated in blue at fig. 1, and shown in edge view at fig. 2.

It is keyed on to the shaft exterior to the frame of the machine, and receives an intermittent motion from the ratchet V of the lever o, which latter is made in 'twoparts, and joined above and below the ratchet-wheel by cross-pieces, thus enclosing the latter. Y' y' Thisl lever-frame has for its centre of oscillation the shaft of the ratchet-wheel on which it is hung. e

The lower end of this lever-frame connects with a rod, P' Q', which latter is connected `with the hoop of an eccentric, mounted on the main driving-shaft, K', of the machine.

On the upper cross-piece of the lever-frame is a pawl, V, by which a forward movement of the rollergbearing chainsgis obtained at each revolution of the driving-pulley H.

H' 'is the loose pulley. v

The three eccentrics P,'Q, and K,- are shown in fig. 2, with their hoops and connecting-rods` removed, the same being suiciently shown or indicated in fig. 1. f

The rubbing-platen, which is composed of various subordinate parts, to be described hereafter, is provided with a to-andfro movement, obtained from the driving-shaft through a central eccentric, K, keyed on the same, and c'onnectedby the rod K" to the central arm L, on the shaft L', which latter has at cach end an arm, L", which, by the rod M,`is connected to the uprights b', attached to the rubbing-platen.

In fig. 1, this eccentric-rod is shown at K", while`the rod that connects the ratchet-lever with its eccentric, P, is indicated by the blue line P' Q', iig. 1. l p

This line also indicates the rod of an eccentric, Q, on the driving-shaft, thesaid ecccntricvhaving the same diameter and eecentricity as the'other, and actua-tes a friction-lever mounted on the same shaft as the ratchetlever, for a purpose to be shown. i

By thc connections above described, the platen is provided with a to-and-fro motion, and the-clrain with a continuous motion made up of intermittent finite distances, due to the actuation ofthe ratchet, but owing to the fact that the rubbing-platen bears upon the cone-rollers set inthe chains beneath, and lconsequently rolls them backward and forward en thebed of the machine, in the to-and-fro motion of the said platen, the actual progres. Sion achieved by the chain-bearing rollers is only the distance by which the travel induced bythe ratchet exceeds thebaclcward motion ofthe platen.

AThus the actual gain of the chain-bearing roller is the difference of 'the two motions.

The successive 4finite distances .of movement will hereafter be alluded to simply as the ti-avel, when referring to-the movement of the platen, the roller-bearing chains, thc ratchet-lever or the friction-lever, now about to be described.

At the opposite end of the driving-shaft, from the eccentric, P, is another eccentric, Q, oprating'a frictionlever, which has its centre of motion onthe 'same shaft as the ratchet-wheel N.

The eye of this lever fits with close friction-contact on a boss keyed on the shaft, and thisfrietion is suicient to give the roller-chains a certain travel.

Another travel of the roller-chains is produced by the tcand-fro motion of the rnbbing-platen, which acts to revolve the cone-rollers, and thus move them and the chains, as hereinbefore mentioned', i

The friction-lever, by means of its eccentric, Q, imparts to the roller-chainsa to .and-fro travel of equal lengths. v

The ratchet-lever imparts a forward travel only to the roller-chains, but this travel is greater than the travel imparted by the friction-lever and platen, whereby the roller-chains progressforward by a small distance at each revolution ofthe eccentric, P. k

'This excess in practice is from a quarterto a half inch, and is regulated by shortening the ratchet-lever by means of a sliding cross-head, working in slots in the lever-frame, as shown at U, fig. 2. This cross-head is connected to the rod ofthe eccentric, I.

Thus, in the forward travel ofthe platen, it imparts a travel to the roller-chains, which forward action is accompanied and assistedl by the forward travel of the friction-lever, and also by the forward travel of the ratchet-Wheel lever; and the travel of the ratchet-lever being made greater than the travel of the platen, the i roller-chains gain a forward dilferential of travel at each revolution of the driving-shaft, which differential is equal to'the fraction ofthe travel by which the chain-,wheel travel exceeds the platentravel..

In the backward travel of the platen, the chains and rollers are returned a certain travel by the action of the platen upon the rollers, precisely as in the forward travel, for the pawl V slips on the ratchet-wheel, and the friction-lever slips on its bosses till the backward travel is complete, andthe forward commences when the pawl catches on the ratchet-wheel to Aimpart its travel to the roller-chains; and there being no contraryr resist ance, the frictionflcver acts to assist theforward movement. v y

Thus the rolling of the hat-cones is accomplished, and their final1delivery fronrthel machine insured, after they have undergone a definite rolling and felting action.

The oilice of the friction-lever is to insure the backward'travel of the roller, chains, an-dvcones, and prevent them from stopping on their way during the backward travel of the platen, in case the latter did not carry the cones and chains along with it. K i

The rubbing-platen consists ofan outside frame, b, mounted on rollers, c, which travel along the edges of the hollow bod a', as shown in tig. 2. i l

These rollers aremounted on theinner sides of vertical arms, 6', which are attached rigidly to the outer frame b of the platen.

The backward and forward tra-vel of the platen is produced by means of an eccentric, K, on the drivingshaft and its connections,as before described, so that when thefdriving-shaft is revolved the platen partakes of a reciprocating motion.

The inner framed of the platen (containing the felting-frames to be hereafter described) is made to move up and down within the outerVframe-b by means of four scrcws,f, operated by a system of bevel-gearing, whichv connects them all together.

A. crank-wheel, mountedton a shaftag, simultaneously operates thcse'bevel-gears', and raises or lowers the frame d. i

In this frame-are fitted a number of Vcast-iron plates, 7L, as shown in iigs. 4 and 5.

These plates are provided at their lower edges with wooden feltingesurfaces, j, which act to roll to and fro the hat-cones on the rollers on the chains underneath.

In these plates t is the cast-iron body, having two lateral projections, in which are holes, the vertical spindles Zpassing through said holes.

These spindles are fixed in the frame 42 as shown in iig. 2, 'and surrounded by helical springs, which provide a tension to actuaterthe felting-boards j upon thehat-cones. p

j is the felting-board, of wood, striated or corrugated on its surface of contact with the hat-cones.

These felting-boards have bronze bearings, j, at each end, which fit in thejournals j", and are thus provided an oscillating motion independent of the vertical motion which is produced by the compression of springs, before described. g

c are other springs, attached as shownf for holding the felting-boards in a horizontal position, and permitting the certain supple motion favorable to the felting of the wool.

The felting-board, thus hung, when meeting with a hat-cone (rolled up on its roller, and a little higher than the felting-boards areY to be sct,) impinges on the same with its forward edge, and rises on its vertical spindles Z, thus softening its contact with the hat-cone.

The springs kallow the felting-board to.yield somewhat laterally as well, and this, in connection with its vertical yielding, produces an elastic' supple action which, with-the striated surface, before mentioned, cond-uses tothe proper felting of the wool.

When any felting-board'is leaving the hat-cone the rearward one of the springs lr bears down the board as it is borne oii' thehat-cone, thus continuing the supple pressure upon the latter as it grazes clear of it.

A similar action of the boards4 ensues in the backward travel of the platen.4

A tank for hot acidulated water (not shown inA theY drawing) is placed above the machine.

This water is led down by a pipe and conveyedV upon the surface of the bed on which the hat-cones are being felted.

Another pipe, provided with a stop-cock, leads from the upper part of the tank, or any other steam-generator, and conveys steam to the cavitya of the cast-iron bed, thereby heating the bed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the felting operation is produced by the combined action of heat, acidulated water-pressure, and a peculiar tcand-fro and vertical 4motion of the felting-boards.

IAnother means bf obtaining these motions, and which form parts of this application, is set forth in the following: A

The cone-rollers I use consist of a wooden cyl-indricalrod, as shown at F, tig. 5, to which is attached a dax, wool, or cotton band, 8, by which the hat-cone is bound to the roller.

The hat-cone is laid on the band, spread out on a surface, and the cone and band rolled up around the roller.

The hat-cones on the rollers are then placed in the machine by setting the ends of the rollers in the notches in the c hain-links, or, in the notches of the hollow screw-bearings for the screw modification, described also, and submitted to the felting-action.

The advantages peculiar to the continuously-acting felting-machine, above described, are-set forth in the following:

First, simplicity of construction.

Second, compactnessof compass.v

Third, minimum power required to operate it.

Fourth, the hat-cones moistened by the acidulatod water, and heated, are immediately replaced again in the machine ou theirissue therefrom, so that they havenot time to cool. Thus a saving of heat and time is effected.

Fifth, one attendant only is required to each machine.

Sixth, the regularity of the halting-operation, whereby a softer and iirmer felt is produced than can be attained by handlabor or other machines heretofore in use.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The hollow bed a', iii-combination with the reciprocating platen, having vertically-sliding plates, t', and the endless chains a', 'bearing the cone-rollersf, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

'2. The'feltingplates 7L, having attached Athereto, by springs c, the laterally-yielding felting-strips j, substzmtially as shown and described, and for the'purpose specified.

.3. The roller-carrying chains, constructed as described, with open links for the purpose of providing bearings fou the cone-rollers, substantially asv herein set'l forth.

4. Importing a, co-and-'fro travel to the rubbing-platen, the cone-rollersf, and hollow chains x, with a pro-- portionately smell excess of forward progression of the roller-chains, by means of the eccentrics P Q K, und their connecting-rods, the crank-shaft l', and connecting-rods M, thefriction-lever, and the pawl-lever o, pawl v, and ratchet-wheel N, all combined and arranged to operte in the manner herein shown `and described.

' GH. MossANT.

Witnesses: l

J. 'Dnoosn ROYANN'AIR. 

